What would the NBA be like today without Kevin Durant? Would it be as exciting? Would it be as competitive? Would anyone be half as excited as they are for the 2012 NBA Finals right now? No, no, and…hell no.

For a lot of NBA fans—especially those NBA fans who can’t stand the sight of LeBron James—KD is their reason for tuning into the NBA these days. Outside of being one of the best, if not the best, player in the league, KD is also decidedly humble, likable, and—probably most importantly—all about the game of basketball. While other guys seem far more focused on racking up endorsement deals and gaining notoriety off of the basketball court, just about every headline pertaining to Durant relates directly to his game. Even the wireless phone carrier commercial that he currently stars in features him in his uniform on the basketball court. He loves the game of basketball—and it shows.

So, we find it hard to believe that, once upon a time, KD sat down and seriously considered quitting basketball. But, in a recent sit-down with ESPN, Durant confirms it. Back in eighth grade, when he was still trying to decide where to play high school basketball, KD actually contemplated giving up the game for good. He was putting in a lot of hard work and not seeing a lot of results, so he thought about getting out of the game. Watch him explain it here:

So, we have to ask the question again: What would the NBA be like today without Kevin Durant? Well, for one thing, there’d be no “anti-Lebron” for NBA fans to follow. There’d also be a 6-foot-9 guy walking around out there full of potential who never quite answered his calling in life. So, let this be a lesson to all of the kids out there: Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Even when times get tough, you need to work hard to see your dreams come true. And, you don’t have to look any further than one of the best players in the NBA to see that. Thanks for not giving up, Kevin. Now, please…Beat the Heat!

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